Revived
by Ira-Grace White
Summary: My take on the faith pasts and decisions of Sue, Lucy, Jack, Tara, Bobby, and Myles. Kind of a sequel to "The Second Chance" and a prequel to some upcoming stories. Please enjoy my ideas about the spiritual lives of the team members!
1. Chapter 1-Start of the Story

**This is a prequel to some romance stories that I plan to write in the next few months (Lord willing!) and the sequel to "The Second Chance". This particular story is about the spiritual decisions of the members of the team. It is clear from the show that some of the members are Christians, but their faith does not get examined too deeply. I want to delve into that side of the story. Here it is! Please read, review, and (as always) enjoy! God bless!**

"So, Sue, will you be there?" asked Angela Hartman, the pastor's energetic, red-headed wife. Sue was confused. She could not recall what Angela had asked her. The busy grocery store was not the best place for focussing, especially with busy shoppers coming between the two women. The motion had distracted her and their conversation had been difficult for Sue, to say the least.

"Sorry," Angela said before switching to signing. Several months before Angela had expressed to Sue her desire to learn sign language. Angela had told Sue that it did not seem right that she and her husband, Pastor Benjamin, had not yet learned how to communicate with the growing number of deaf members of their church. Angela's dream was to become an interpreter at the church. She was doing pretty well for a beginner, but Sue knew that it would be a while until Angela was fluent in sign. For now, Sue tried to focus on what Angela was signing. With lot's of finger spelling and wrong signs, Angela managed to tell Sue that special people were going to be at church on Wednesday night.

"Who?" Sue signed and asked.

"M-I-S-S-I-O-N-A-R-I-E-S," Angela spelled. She spoke while Sue read her lips, "Sorry. I'm finding it hard to sign. I still need more practice. We're having some missionaries in on Wednesday, and I think that you'll love them."

"Why?" Sue signed and asked.

"They are..." Just then Angela's head turned and Sue missed what she was saying. Angela's two children ran up to her then, excited about something that Sue could not understand.

"Oh, Sue, I need to go," Angela exclaimed after listening to her kids. "I forgot about their swimming lessons and we need to rush. Will I see you on Wednesday?"

"We'll see," Sue said in a noncommittal way. It had been a few weeks until she was at church for an evening service. She was always so busy or tired at the end of the day that she did not really make church a priority. It made her feel a bit guilty whenever she thought of it-thus she tried to ignore the thought most of the time. After all, she was a regular on Sunday mornings. No one could have a legitimate complaint when her daily life was so busy.

Yet, perhaps she would feel better if she went out to a meeting one of these evenings. Despite not being able to understand why Angela was so insistent in her invitation, perhaps that coming Wednesday night would be a good day to go.

...

"Lucy, I think that I'll go to church tonight. Want to come with me?" Sue asked her roommate. Lucy was busy flipping through a fashion magazine, but she looked up at Sue's invitation.

"You're going to church? You haven't gone to any evening services lately," Lucy commented, setting aside the magazine with a lazy stretch and yawn.

Sue nodded, a bit guilty. "I haven't, but I'm going tonight. Want to go? I think that there are some missionaries tonight."

"Oh, I would," Lucy said apologetically, "but I've actually got plans tonight."

"Oh?" Sue asked, noting Lucy's sparkling eyes and mysterious smile.

"I've got a date," Lucy announced proudly.

After the necessary girly talk, Lucy finally took her leave to go get ready for her date and Sue, after checking that her outfit was not covered in Levi's hair, left for church.

...

Sue was a bit late for church. She arrived just as the last song was ending. Although she could not hear it, she could feel the vibrations from the organ. As Sue slipped in at the back of the church she saw a couple at the front of the church.

 _Must be the missionaries_ , she thought. She sat down and motioned for Levi to do so as well. Levi grunted and laid down, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

 _Like some of the older men here do on a regular basis_ , Sue smiled at the rogue thought before turning back to the front. Sure enough, the couple was walking up onto the platform. Sue looked around the platform for the translator who was usually up there, but Laura was no where in sight.

 _She must be sick or away_ , Sue decided, but then noticed that Laura Greenfell was sitting at the other side of the church. Laura even turned, recognized Sue, and waved a tiny wave before turning back to the missionaries.

 _Why isn't there an interpreter?_ Sue wondered. Although she could read lips, there were several other deaf people in the congregation. It was abnormal for there to be no interpreter.

 _I hope that the speakers know to speak clearly so that I can read their lips_ , Sue thought to herself as she turned her full attention to the missionaries.

It was then that she understood why there was no interpreter. She could also understand why Angela was so sure that she would enjoy these missionary speakers.

They were signing.

The Austins were a couple around her age. Christopher was a pastor at a small church in New Zealand that they had planted several years ago. Belle, his wife, was an interpreter for their church and a teacher at their church's small private school. Christopher was partially deaf in one ear, having been born with hearing impairment. After suffering a severe case of meningitis at age ten, Belle was profoundly deaf . When they spoke, sharing their testimonies and a mission update with the church, they spoke clearly and signed simultaneously. Christopher explained that he used a hearing aid to counteract his hearing impairment, and Belle shared that she had learned to read lips.

Sue was touched by their ministries and impressed by their superb communication skills. The Austins were genuine yet humorous in their presentation. Sue immediately felt drawn toward them. She was glad that she had come. And she could not wait to meet the Austins personally.

...

"So you enjoy teaching?" Sue spoke and signed to Belle Austin. They had been signing and talking for twenty minutes. The Austins and Sue had had an instant connection and been enjoying each others company through the evening.

"YES", Belle signed with a smile. "I LOVE IT. DO YOU TEACH?"

"NO," Sue signed. "I WORK FOR THE FBI."

"AMAZING," Belle signed. "CHRIS AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT SOMETIME, WOULDN'T WE?" Belle turned to Christopher and he nodded.

"AND ME ABOUT YOUR MISSION WORK AND LIVES IN NEW ZEALAND," Sue replied. Then she had a brilliant idea. _Lucy and Tara would love to meet Belle and practice signing with her. I think that the team would also love to meet them. D has talked about missionaries before, and Bobby might like visiting people who live in the general area of his previous home. Who knows? Jack might enjoy visiting with Chris, and-who knows?-maybe Myles too_. "HOW LONG ARE YOU IN D.C.?"

"We're taking our time to visit several churches and historical monuments in the area. We plan to be here for a week or so."

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME FOR DINNER? I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO MEET SOME OF MY FRIENDS." Sue signed and spoke the invitation.

"WHEN?" Belle laughed.

"Sorry," Sue said, then thought. "How about Saturday night? As long as we don't get called in on a major case, you can come for supper and meet some of my team mates. You can hear about our work, and you can tell us lots about yours."

Belle and Christopher signed rapidly. Belle pulled out her phone and checked their schedule. She finally nodded to Sue. "WE WOULD LOVE TO COME."


	2. Chapter 2-Dinner Plans

**Please enjoy! Thank you to all who have read! Please enjoy this next chapter and review with your thoughts. (Can you see Lucy acting that way?) Have fun and see you at the next chapter! God bless!**

"What?" Lucy signed. "Who did you invite? I didn't quite catch your finger spelling."

"Christopher and Belle Austin," Sue said aloud. "They were the missionaries tonight. I invited them for Saturday evening dinner, and I want to invite the team to meet them."

"Were they really interesting?" Lucy asked.

"They both have hearing impairment," Sue said. "Chris is partially deaf and can hear with a hearing aid, but Belle is like me-she's profoundly deaf."

"Really?" Lucy was very interested. "Does she lip read or sign?"

"Both." Sue looked around and tried to picture how they would fit all those people into their apartment. Lucy followed her eyes and smiled.

"Are you sure that you can fit everyone in here?"

"I'm going to try," Sue said determinedly. She continued with her planning.

Lucy, looking around the apartment, suddenly had a idea. She had some plans of her own.

...

Saturday dawned a beautiful day. No clouds, no storms, no terrorists. It was a rare, gorgeous day.

Sue entered the kitchen and located an apron. She pulled cook books, spices, seasonings, and basic cooking items. She had decided to make a roast chicken with mashed potatoes, sweetened carrots, fresh peas, buttered turnips, and fluffy biscuits, with gooey brownies and vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was a lot to do, especially as she normally did not do a lot of cooking, but she knew that she would enjoy every moment of it. Levi thought that he would as well. He waited hopefully, but when the only items that made their way to the floor were uncooked vegetables he eventually gave up hope and decided to return later. It was much easier after his departure-a hungry and hopeful golden retriever was a giant tripping hazard while working in close confines.

Lucy went to her grandmother's house after lunch, promising to bring back her signature brownies and the homemade ice cream; but before she left she helped Sue drag chairs and furniture around the apartment and set the tables.

"It'll be quite tight," Sue muttered to herself.

"Perfect," Lucy exclaimed aloud. Sue did not notice Lucy's triumph, but if she had she would have been more anxious about that evening, for Lucy was busy scanning the room, creating a seating plan.

Sue went back to the kitchen after Lucy's departure. She put the well-seasoned chicken into the oven and began to cook it. She then finished preparing the vegetables so that she would simply have to put the pots on to boil when the time came. She planned to make the biscuits right before serving to make sure that they were as light and fluffy as possible. She pulled a jar of homemade raspberry jam out of a cupboard and put it onto the counter. Someone-specifically herself-might want jam for their biscuits.

She looked at the clock and smiled. She was anticipating the evening.


	3. Chapter 3-A Talk with the Austins

**Enjoy this next chapter of "Revived"! God bless!**

Sue checked the boiling vegetables to see if they were ready. She tried a potato cube with a fork. It was still hard. As she set the lid back onto the pot she felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and checked the message.

"WE'RE IN THE AREA LOOKING AT SOME MONUMENTS," read the message from Belle. "DO YOU MIND IF WE COME OVER NOW? IF YOU ARE BUSY, WE DON'T MIND."

Sue smiled and texted back. "COME OVER WHENEVER YOU WANT! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!" She added her address onto the text and sent it.

The Austins arrived fifteen minutes later. Sue welcomed the joyously. She told them that the rest of the guests and Lucy would be there in about half an hour. "Until then," Sue signed, "we can visit."

"Great!" Belle signed. "I was wondering, how long you have been going to Mercy Baptist Church?"

"Three years," Sue signed.

Belle looked wistful. "It must be nice to be in a church with such a great deaf community. There are a few deaf people who occasionally go to the church where Chris is pastor, but none of them are regulars. No one else really knows how to sign so it can be lonely sometimes. I'm just glad that Chris understands."

"It is nice to have a lot of deaf people at church," Sue signed. "I don't see them a whole lot though."

"Oh?" Belle signed.

"I thought that it was your church," Chris signed.

"It is," Sue signed, slightly flustered, "but I...well, I haven't been attending as much as I used to."

"Why?" Belle asked, then blushed. "Sorry. I shouldn't be so nosy. It isn't any of my business."

"No, it's fine," Sue said. "I just have been too busy to attend church lately."

"Oh," Belle signed back.

Sue sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Actually, to be honest, I've let myself get distracted by life. I got my priorities mixed up. For me to have been on Wednesday was a rarity."

"You don't seem to be happy about that," Chris observed.

"No, I'm not," Sue admitted. "I know that I need to change, to get back to church. I don't like the fact that I've let other things get in front of my relationship with God." It felt good to let others know how upset she was. "It's easy to let it happen while working for the FBI, but I shouldn't have let it. I feel horribly about it."

"Don't," Belle signed as she put her arm around Sue. "God doesn't want us to live a life of regret. He will help you get back to Him and back to church. We all make mistakes-I'm a missionary and I still struggle with attending church, or at least attending with a grateful, happy heart-but God is always there to welcome us back with open arms."

Sue smiled and nodded. "You're right. I'm going to get back to be as regular to church as I can possibly be and back to loving God with all my heart." She wiped a stray tear off her cheek, then noticed Chris waving for her attention. She raised her eyebrow. "What?" He motioned to the stove. Sue turned and saw the spluttering, steaming potato pot. "Oh, thank you!" she told Chris as she shut off the burner and poured the water off of the vegetables. Checks on all of the pots proved that all of the vegetables were ready and a glance at the clock told her that the guests should be there soon.

Levi ran over and nudged Sue before running toward the door.

"The guests are here," Sue signed to Chris and Belle. They nodded.

"Introduce us!" Chris signed.


	4. Chapter 4-Table Talk

**Here's the next chapter for you all to enjoy! Thanks to all commenters! God bless and enjoy!**

Sue answered the door. Lucy rushed in with her hands full dessert goodies while the others strolled in, greeting Sue and smiling at her guests, waiting to be introduced. Once everyone had crowded in and made their way into the living room, Sue began the long list of introductions.

"Christopher and Belle, I would like you to meet my friends and co-workers. This is my roommate, Lucy Dotson. She is also our office rotor." Lucy smiled and signed her greetings to the Austins.

"This is Myles Leland the third," Sue continued signing, pointing to Myles, causing Myles to smile gratefully because of her remembrance of his full title. He nodded his welcome to the Austins. "He is an agent who is very good with foreign languages. He went to Harvard." Christopher and Belle seemed impressed.

Sue turned to Bobby. "This is Special Agent Bobby Manning. He is our explosive expert." Bobby waved, being not to fluent in signs.

The hostess next pointed toward Jack. "This is Jack Hudson, another special agent. He is our team leader and usually my partner in doing whatever I end up doing at work." Jack signed "hello" to the Austins and they signed "hello" back.

Sue turned to the Ganses next. "Dimitrius and Donna Gans. Dimitrius, who we also call D, is an agent and soon to be our supervisor, if all goes well. Donna is his wife and an honorary team member, due to her gifts of cookies and lunches when we get going on our really tough cases." Dimitrius and Donna shook hands with Christopher and Belle.

When she had the Austins attention again, Sue turned to Tara. "And last but not least, Special Agent Tara Williams. She is our computer genius-she can do anything on one of those machines. She usually co-ordinates raids and such. She helps me by enhancing videos and such for me to be able to read lips." Tara signed "hi" to the Austins and they nodded back and signed "hello" to her.

"And that's all of the members of my team, and they are all wonderful friends." She then turned to the others. "Lucy, Myles, Bobby, Jack, D, Donna, and Tara, I would like you all to meet my new friends, Christopher and Belle Austin. They are from New Zealand and they came to my church on Wednesday. Christopher is partially deaf, but he can hear with a hearing aid. He uses what he can hear, signing, and speaking to communicate. Belle is like me-she is totally deaf. She also lip reads and signs. She can speak, but she hasn't done it for very long, so she finds it difficult. Now, their signing is a bit different. They are using the Australian version, while you all know the American version. I can understand most of it, so if you need me to translate, I can."

Everyone began to blend. The team members were as interested in Chris and Belle as Sue had thought that they would be. Sue had all the joy of a successful hostess as she watched the others mingle as she finished preparing the meal for serving. Lucy helped those who were not so good at signing, filling in occasional words or teaching critical signs. Belle and Chris were both experienced lip readers, so they seemed to find it easy to communicate to the group. It warmed Sue's heart to watch the group interact, especially as she realized that none of the team members had known how to speak to a lip reader or how to sign before she joined the team. All of their communication skills for talking to deaf people had been learned because of her. It was touching, and if she had not been finishing mashing potatoes she would have indulged in a few sentimental tears. As she was, however, she brushed that feeling aside until later and called everyone to the table for dinner.

Lucy had her way at the table. Sue sat across from Belle at the table, in case she needed to translate anything for her friends during the meal. Due to Lucy's busy manipulation of seating, Jack ended up sitting next to Sue; for good measure, she also got Tara and Bobby next to each other.

"Christopher, would you pray before the meal?" Sue requested of the missionary pastor. She noticed a few looks of confusion around the table and felt her conscience prick her. She prayed before each meal, but apparently her team mates had never noticed that before.

Christopher agreed and prayed a blessing upon the meal and those gathered to partake of it. Then everyone dove into Sue's delicious cooking. The preliminary silence of the hungry people eating preceded the conversation that started when everyone began to feel more full. Bobby struck up a conversation with Christopher.

"So, are you originally from New Zealand?" he asked.

"No," Chris spoke and signed. "I am from Ontario, Canada, and Belle is from New South Wales, Australia."

"Really? I'm from Australia too," Bobby said to Belle. Sue noticed that he was not signing and quickly filled in the blank for Belle.

Belle smiled and signed and spoke back, "Which part of Australia?" Sue saw that her speech was a bit slurred. Sue had found out that Belle was just now learning how to speak. She had learned to lip read, but not to speak. Christopher was now helping her get speech therapy, but progress was slow when she was an adult learner. Sue made sure that Bobby understood the question.

"Brisbane, Queensland."

"I've been there. My younger brother moved there last year with his family."

"Where did you meet?" Lucy asked, always interested in the love story of any couple.

Sue translated to Belle, who signed back, "We both loved to travel and explore, which ended up with us both deciding to do Bible college in the States. We ended up in the same college. One day one of my roommates mentioned that there was a handsome, kind man in one of her classes, who also just happened to have hearing impairment and who signed. I was interested, so she introduced us, and the rest is history." Belle smiled at Chris was adoring eyes and Lucy sighed happily, the way she often did after hearing a satisfying romance.

Bobby's conversation was not so hampered by sentiment. "So, what are you both doing in New Zealand since neither of you are from there?" he asked the Austins.

Christopher looked at Belle to see if she was going to reply for them. Belle signed something quickly to him. No one else caught it as it was in Australian sign language and very quick, but Sue did. Belle had signed, "You explain. I want to eat some biscuits with jam. I'm so hungry from walking all day! Plus, you like talking and they'll understand you better." Belle turned to Sue and teasingly signed, "Don't hog the jam! I want some too!" Sue smiled and passed the jam to Belle while Christopher took on Bobby's question.

"Belle and I are missionaries there."

"Missionaries?"

"Yes. I'm a pastor at a small church. Belle teaches at the private church school and translates messages for a few deaf people who occasionally attend. We both serve in other ways as well. We really focus on going out and reaching people in the communities with God's love and message of salvation."

A confused look spread over Myles' face. Tara and Bobby both began to look uncomfortable, while Lucy and Jack seemed slightly unsure of themselves. Donna and D were the only ones who seemed to be at home with the conversation. The Ganses readily asked questions and the Austins eagerly answered while the rest, for the most part, simply listened.

"It's amazing how God is using you," Donna commented.

"He is, but He is using all Christians," Belle signed. Sue had agreed to do all speaking for her so that Belle could focus on enjoying herself instead of stressing over sounds and syllables all night. "Sue could tell you how He is using her here, I'm sure."

Sue was hit by a momentary feeling of being frozen. She could understand that Belle was leading up to an opportunity for her to share her testimony with her co-workers, but would she be able to do it?

"Really? But you aren't a missionary. How could a God use you?" asked Myles.

 _Myles must not believe in God if he phrases it that way,_ Sue thought. She began to panic. _How can I explain this so that they will understand? God, please help me know what words to say._

Sue took a deep breath and began to share her testimony with her co-workers for the first time.


	5. Chapter 5-Testimony Turmoil

**Thanks to those who have read and reviewed (special thanks to DD, who left me a lot of reviews the other day; you don't know how happy it made me to see the long list and read all of your kind words). There are lots of guests who review, so I don't know your "names" to thank you personally, but please know that I do appreciate all encouragement!**

 **Now let's see how Sue shares her personal testimony. God bless! Please enjoy!**

Sue began, "I haven't been letting God use me very much lately, I'm afraid to say, but when I let Him use me and when I draw near to Him through church and spending time with Him in prayer and Bible reading, He does use me. That's why I'm in the FBI. I always had prayed that God would help me find a job that would allow me to help others, and He did. He gave me an opportunity to study at great schools and eventually get an entry level job at the FBI being a finger print analyst." She caught Jack's smile as she mentioned that and laughed. "That is, I was training to be a finger print analyst until I nearly bit Jack's head off in his own office, thinking that I was talking to personnel. Eventually that led to me getting a job with this surveillance team as an analyst to transcribes videos." Sue smiled at all of the team members and noticed looks of approval, confusion, disbelief, and something akin to shame, depending on the individual. It was easy to see that spiritual matters was a touchy subject with this group. Yet Sue plunged on. She had been silent about her faith for so long, she did not want to risk staying silent any longer. With a silent prayer in her heart for the right words to use to explain it to her friends, some of whom may have had limited exposure to Christianity, Sue tried to arrange her thoughts.

"You see," she found boldness as she continued, "I was saved was I was very young. I think that I might have been five or six - I don't have a date, but I do know that God changed my life that day, whenever it was. I realized that I was a sinner and that God had sent His Son Jesus to die for my sins. All I needed to do was confess that my sins were wrong and ask God to forgive and save me from the consequences of my sin. I was baptized when I was twelve as a symbol of my decision to follow Jesus. Since then, I've made plenty of mistakes. I have let other things get in between God and I many times - I've let it happen recently - but I still love Him. He is always there, waiting for me to come back to Him and move on in my spiritual walk."

Belle smiled up at Sue and winked. Sue smiled back. It was good to have a friend who could understand. The Christian walk was not easy, but God was good to provide such kind, godly friends to help her along the way.

She decided to finish with a few more words. "I can honestly say that becoming a Christian was the best thing that I ever did. Not only did God save me from eternal punishment for my sin, but He also helps me every day. He is a greater Friend than I deserve and I have never regretted asking Him into my life."

"Well, I couldn't say that about most decisions that I've made," Bobby said in what seemed like a desperate attempt to lighten the mood. It failed, but Myles jumped into the gap with another conversation subject. Everyone except for D, Donna, Belle, Chris, and Sue seemed extremely anxious to change the topic onto something less personal than faith, but the entire mood of the evening seemed to be touched after with a hint of something more sober than humourous work stories or personal experiences. Sue regretted that her guests seemed to be a bit uncomfortable but she did not regret saying what she had.

 _It was long overdue_ , she told herself. Yet she could not help inwardly trembling at what the others must be thinking of her. Then she scolded herself. _You just told them that God was there for you, Thomas. Maybe asking Him for some help on how to handle their reactions to what you said would be more productive than worrying._

And with that Sue sent up a silent prayer for wisdom in how to deal with her team members.

Everyone seemed to leave a bit earlier than they normally would on such an occasion. Donna and D really did have to go as their kids were at a birthday party and pick-up time was approaching. They thanked Sue profusely for the enjoyable evening and got the Austins contact information. Both Donna and D were interested in learning more about the Austins' work in New Zealand, and as to the two hoped to visit New Zealand some day they had wanted a way to stay in contact.

Lucy had another date with her current "interest" planned and followed the Ganses out. She was happy and bubbly and cheerful, but Sue could not help feeling that Lucy was trying to hide something that had been stirred up by Sue's testimony. In one unguarded moment Sue caught a glimpse of Lucy's expression. It held something sad and lonely, like shame. It confused Sue as she watched Lucy pull out of her parking spot and zoom away. Soon after, Bobby decided to leave, stating that there was a game that he had been wanting to catch all week. As Sue walked him to the door he looked down at her.

"Sue, do you really believe in God that way?"

"What way?" she asked, confused.

"As...well, I don't know how to explain it. As...something not just for the older folks? You know, as something that is almost...personal?"

"Yes," Sue said softly and with conviction. "That's exactly the God that I believe in, Bobby."

"Oh," was all that the Aussie said before he turned to the door with a confused look on his face. He paused called, "Good night" over his shoulder, and then he was gone.

Jack soon made his exit, citing the game on television as his reason for departure as well. Unlike Bobby he did not mention Sue's faith as he left, but Sue could feel almost certainly that that was the reason he was leaving, not because he was so eager to watch the game. She decided not to press. Jack was her friend. If he wanted to talk, she would, but she was not going to push when it was obvious that he was trying to think something through. He waved good-bye with his usual charming smile, promising to see her bright and early Monday morning. Then he too was gone.

Myles was next.

"Thomas, tell me, do you really believe all that?" he demanded in characteristic fashion as Sue handed him his jacket.

"Yes, Myles," she replied.

"I knew that you believed in a God, but I didn't know that you held such...deep convictions," Myles stated, seeming to search her face for an answer to an unspoken question.

"I do," Sue said, almost feeling pressured to say something.

"I should have known that you would be that type," the agent finally stated.

"What type?"

"Oh, Thomas," Myles said with a short, cynical laugh, "you are so soft-hearted and susceptible, I should have known that you would be such a devout believer."

It was hard to know how to react to a statement like that.

Tara left nearly on Myles' heels. She seemed very troubled and disturbed.

"Tara, are you okay?" Sue asked, genuinely concerned about her friend.

"Fine," Tara replied, but she did not make eye contact.

"Tara," Sue said softly, "are you sure?"

"Yes," Tara said, gathering her purse and sweater. "I just..."

"Just?"

Tara shook her head, as if trying to shake her thought into their correct order. "Don't worry about me, Sue. I just need some time to think some things over."

"Okay," Sue encouraged. "You do that - take all the time you need to think things over."

Tara looked up and Sue noticed the raw pain hidden in Tara's tear-filled eyes.

"Oh, Tara!" she exclaimed, but Tara pulled away and blinked her eyes rapidly.

"I've got to go," the petite agent mumbled and tumbled out of the door. Sue watched her go, confused as to the emotions she had witnessed in Tara. She had never seen anything like it before and it scared her.


	6. Chapter 6-Prayers

**Here is the next chapter! Please enjoy (and have a great day!)! If you enjoy what you read, please leave a comment!**

"That was quick," Sue signed to the Austins, pointing to the clock which read 7:00. "Normally they would have stayed for several more hours instead of leaving early. They all seemed to be in a hurry to leave."

"We don't know them," Christopher signed, "but it seemed like they were in a hurry to leave."

Belle nodded in agreement. "Are any of them saved?" Belle asked.

"Lucy is, although she seemed to be acting strangely this evening," Sue signed, "and D and Donna are. I think Jack is - I know that he came from a Christian family. I don't know about Bobby, Tara, and Myles though. I don't think that they are."

"Most of them seemed uncomfortable," Belle observed.

"They were," Sue signed while she pondered. "We have never spoken much about spiritual matters. It always seemed the best idea to not cause any divisions. That was not my aim tonight. I simply told my story. I hope that they all realize that." She paused. "This may be the start of something - I don't know what. I just hope that I am ready for it, whatever it is."

"You'll need God," Belle signed with conviction. Sue nodded.

"Could we pray with you?" Chris signed.

"Yes," Sue signed. "Please pray for my friends and also for me. I need to be a strong Christian myself to have a good testimony to those around me."

Christopher, Belle, and Sue all bowed their heads and began to pray. They prayed for Sue, Donna, and D to all be strong Christians. They prayed for Lucy and Jack, that they would overcome whatever was bothering them about the mention of faith. They prayed for Bobby, Tara, and Myles to all receive Christ as their Saviour. They prayed for Christopher and Belle's deputation to go well and that their ministry in New Zealand would be fruitful. They prayed for their own spiritual lives and those of the others. When they finally finished, the clock was reading 8:00. They had spent an hour talking to God and it only felt like a few minutes.

"We need to go now, Belle," Christopher finally signed as the clock approached 10:00. "Tomorrow we have a service here in D.C., and then for the evening service we'll have to do about three hours of travel in the afternoon. We'll need rest."

"Yes," Belle agreed reluctantly. They all stood and started to say goodbye. They exchanged contact information so that they could continue building their new friendship. Christopher and Sue shook hands while Sue and Belle embraced each other warmly.

"Thank you so much for coming tonight," Sue told them. "You don't know how much you have helped me."

"And you us," Belle signed. She smiled at Chris, then continued. "You don't know how much you have encouraged us. I didn't tell you this when you invited us over, but we were beginning to feel very discouraged. Being a missionary can be a trying ministry. When we are in New Zealand we are at least in the same area, but for the last year we have been on deputation. The constant travel is hard. And the issues with being deaf and hearing impaired! Not many people understand the difficulties that we have in communication. Even Chris has a hard time hearing with his hearing aid in noisy areas, like churches full of people talking. It has been so nice to visit with you, who can understand. And your friends - they are so thoughtful! I could understand most of the conversation tonight, which is quite rare. Thank you so much."

"I guess that the help has been mutual," Sue signed with a smile. She gave Belle another hug. "I'll be praying for you regularly."

"And I you," Belle signed.

Sue waved from her window to the Austins as they drove away. She was sad to see them go. She had really enjoyed her time with the couple. Partially thanks to their help, she was recommitted to God.

"Thank you, God," she whispered as the Austins turned around the street corner out of sight. Then she was alone with her main question.

 _What is going on with all of my friends?_


	7. Chapter 7-Something Strange

**Thank you for your patience while waiting for this chapter! I'll be doing my best to post a new chapter to this story at least once a week - likely Sundays. Please enjoy reading and then comment what you think will happen next! God bless you all!**

When Sue walked into work on Monday she immediately noticed that it was different than normal. No bantering, no visiting, no joking - every one was apparently busy at their desks. This abnormality surprised Sue so much that she did a double-take. It was then that she discovered that all was not as it seemed. Jack was unwinding paper clips at a furious pace. Bobby was scowling at an empty computer screen. Myles was leafing through a book on philosophy. Lucy was missing altogether and Tara was blankly staring at a list of codes on her computer while doing a Rubik's cube in one hand and a mind puzzle in the other. Only D was truly working, reading files and filling out a report.

 _What's the matter with all of them?_

She moved to her desk and greeted and was greeted by the others, except for Tara, who was too zoned out to hear her. But after the greetings the bull pen subsided into quietness once again. Sue ignored the strange behavior and started to work.

Lucy arrived back from a meeting two hours later and she seemed to be particularly anxious to avoid Myles. When he asked her a question she pretended not to hear him until he had asked several times. Then, when Sue asked the question for Myles, Lucy answered without looking at him. Myles walked off in a huff and Sue was confused.

 _This is worse than when they first broke up_ , Sue told herself. She looked around her. Myles was spouting off quotes from ancient philosophers, mostly about men struggling against fate in their own strength.

Sue checked over a report before putting it into a file. _I should go check with Howie about that information we asked him for_ , she considered. A glance around the room alerted her to the fact that Jack was gone.

"Bobby, can you go on an interview with me?" she asked.

"Um, no...I'm...busy," Bobby mumbled. He seemed uncomfortable near her.

 _Why is that?_

"Tara?" she asked the blonde agent tapping away at her keyboard.

Tara's face flushed up and she ducked behind her screen after muttering, "Sorry, Sue, I am too...I'm just...not today."

 _What is wrong with all of them? Tara isn't be normal either._ Sue sighed. Now she would have to wait until that afternoon to do the interview when Jack came back.

A motion on the other side of the room caught her attention. D was waving for her. She raised her eyebrow in a question.

"I'll help you with that interview."

"Thanks," she said appreciatively.

 _I'll be glad to get out of this room. With everyone on edge like this there's likely to be a fight, explosive, or some other unnatural disaster in sheer minutes._

As D and Sue were on the elevator D turned to Sue and asked, "Do you know what you've started?"

"What?" Sue asked.

 _What have I started?_

"I haven't seen any one in the office this perturbed for a long time," D said. He gestured in the direction of the bull pen. "I am pretty sure that this was all started during that dinner you hosted with the Austins."

Sue sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Yeah? Do you think things will be okay?"

D thought for a moment. "I think so, but I would guess that things will never be quite the same. You've hit upon - or caused to be hit upon - some very sensitive issues. Those issues won't disappear until they are settled somehow." He took a deep breath. "Let's just hope that the others are quick to deal with the problems so that they can get back to being themselves."

Sue nodded as she rubbed her temples. "Yes, let's hope."


	8. Chapter 8-Jack's Thoughts

**I'm back again! I didn't forget you, my loyal readers! Please enjoy and review! The next chapter will likely come next weekend!**

The next day Sue finally had a chance to talk to Jack. They needed to go talk to a snitch and in the car they finally had time alone together.

"You okay?" Sue asked Jack, hoping that he would open up to her.

Jack mumbled something, but he was not looking at her so she could not read his lips well.

"What? I didn't catch that."

"Sorry." Jack tilted his head toward her. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Sue asked. "You aren't acting fine."

"Why do you say that?" Jack asked. He seemed a little bit defensive.

"You just don't seem to be yourself."

"I don't know why you are saying that."

"Jack," Sue pleaded, "you _must_ know that you are acting different than normal. Usually we would be having a great talk about any number of subjects. Today - well, more like the past few days - you've almost been avoiding me. When we are together, you're quiet and withdrawn. You seem to be bothered by something. Now, can we please talk about it or are you going to continue with this annoying silence?"

Jack cracked a smile.

"What?" Sue asked.

"Annoying silence?"

Sue caught the joke and laughed. "I know, I know. Okay, so that sounds strange. But it really does bother me when you don't talk about what's the matter. So, what started this?"

Jack shrugged.

"Okay, I'll guess," Sue pressed on. "I think that this all started when you came over for dinner when the Austins were over."

Silence. No movement of lips. Jack was stone-faced.

"Jack."

Silence remained.

"Jack?"

Jack's body finally moved in what looked like a sigh. Then he nodded.

"Why did that upset you so much?"

"I am a Christian," Jack stated.

Sue nodded. "I know."

Silence again.

"What is it, Jack?" Sue was concerned.

"Let's stop for some coffee," he suggested, pulling into a parking lot by a cafe`.

"Okay," Sue agreed, hoping that Jack would finally talk about what was bothering him so much.

When they were seated at a table with their drinks Jack finally spoke.

"If you had seen me before would you think that I was a Christian?"

Sue took a deep breath before cautiously answering, "I don't know."

"That's what I was thinking," Jack responded. "I am a Christian, but those who know me probably don't even know that. What's wrong with that?"

Sue took her turn to be quiet.

"I've wandered so far away from the faith that I used to have," Jack pondered. "I don't even know if God would let me come back."

"Oh, Jack, He would!" Sue exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked.

"John 6:37," Sue quoted. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." She reached out and took Jack's hand. "See, Jack? Jesus Himself said that He would never push away those who come to Him. If you can't believe Jesus, who can you believe?"

Jack seemed deep in thought for a long time. His face flickered with different emotions as he appeared to struggle with the idea of forgiveness. Finally he closed his eyes and bowed his head in prayer. He remained so for a long time. Finally peace washed over his face and he looked up and smiled at her. "You're right." He squeezed her hand. "You know, if Jesus is willing to accept me back then I want to go back to Him and to my faith."

"Oh, Jack!" Sue's eyes were shining with happiness.

"Yes, I've been thinking it over for the last few days, and I'm not happy with the life that I'm living right now. Jesus gave His life to save me. Why can't I live for Him? It's the least that I can do. I just prayed and told Him so. "

Sue brushed a joyous tear off of her cheek. "I don't know of anything that could make me happier!"


	9. Chapter 9-Forward

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I have had a _very_ busy few weeks and I have not been doing much writing of any kind. I have not given up, however, and I will continue to write as I have time. I'll be trying to post at least once a week. For now, please enjoy this update! From my current outline, I believe that there will be around nine more chapters before this ends. Then I think that my next "big" story will be about Jack and Sue. Keep checking up on my profile! For now, please enjoy this chapter, then send in some reviews for me! I love hearing from you! God bless and have a great week!**

Sue woke up late at night. She glanced at her clock. It read 11:47. She glanced around. There was a light shining on the other side of her door. From the dimness of the light she guessed that it must be coming from the kitchen.

 _Who is out there?_ Sue asked herself. As her eyes adjusted to the dark she could see Levi sleeping on the other side of the room. _Nothing is bothering him. It must be Lucy. Is she okay? She went to bed early tonight. Maybe she's sick. I should go see._ Sue got out of bed and walked out to the kitchen. Sure enough, there was Lucy sitting at the table, an untouched cup of tea next to her along with a tissue box. Tears were trickling down her dark cheeks and her body was shaking with what Sue presumed was sobbing.

"Lucy?"

Lucy started at the sound of Sue's voice, then turned to her.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

"No," Sue said, sitting down across from Lucy. "What is the matter, Luce?"

"Oh, everything."

 _She's the opposite of Jack_ , Sue thought as she said, "Everything is an awful lot of stuff. Is there anything is specific?"

"It all started with the Austins coming. Their talking about their ministry got me thinking."

"I thought that might have bothered you in some way."

"I just feel so guilty." Lucy dabbed at her tears with more tissues, adding to the pile around her. "Oh, Sue, you don't know what I've done in the past. And God must be so ashamed of me."

 _I'm getting good at this sitting quietly and listening._

"Lucy, God is always willing to help and forgive you."

Lucy took a shuddery breath as more tears made paths down her face.

"I know," she said softly. "But ... you see, I have...gone too far in some relationships before. Even though I was a Christian I made some _really_ dumb choices. Do you remember when you first joined our team and I was dating Myles?"

"Yes."

"He was only one of several men that I dated. When I was young I had great ideals. I wanted to ... wait until marriage ... for ... some things, but I ended up giving in, compromising to please ... others. I ... was relieved, in some ways, even though I was broken, when ... when Myles cheated on me because it gave ... me a good reason to get out of a relationship that I knew ... was wrong. I ... regret it."

Sue reached out and squeezed Lucy's hand. She noticed a small leather book on Lucy's lap - a Bible. She smiled and motioned to it. "It looks like you are going to the right place for help."

Lucy smiled and nodded. "God is good, isn't He, Sue? I know that He has forgiven me, that He did forgive me once I asked. It is just taking a bit longer for me to forgive myself."

"I understand. I've felt that way before. Do you want company or ...?"

"I think I'll be fine by myself," Lucy replied, drying off her tears and picking up her Bible. "Thanks for coming out to check on me."

"What are friends for?"

...

The next morning Sue went out to the kitchen. Lucy was there already, starting the coffee.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Sue asked with a yawn.

"Not too much," Lucy said cheerfully.

"Then how are you more awake than I am?" Sue grumbled.

Lucy laughed as only she could laugh, her eyes and smile bright. "I haven't slept so well in years." She turned to Sue with her happiest face. "I am forgiven!"

"That's wonderful, Luce!" Sue exclaimed, realizing that Lucy had been able to deal with her guilt.

The two hugged. "I can't change the past," Lucy explained, "but I have my who future in front of me to do better. From now on, I'm going to stop worrying about my past and keep moving forward!"


	10. Chapter 10-Troubled Tara

**Dear readers, thank you for your great patience! I have not forgotten or forsaken you. I have simply been working long days and preparing to return to school. (By the way, to all students this coming school year, I wish you all the best!) Unfortunately, those many duties and commitments have had to take priority to writing fun stories. :( I hope to be able to start updating regularly again soon. Until that time, please enjoy this chapter! Especially comment on what you think is going on with Tara and what you think she is doing! As always, please read, review, and enjoy! God bless! Now, to the story...!**

The next day at work it became obvious that Tara was not having a good day. Her normal preoccupation with her work seemed to be broken, yet she was still off in a world of her own. Her chatter around the coffee pot about random subjects was missing, but her clumsiness was prominent. She spilled two cups of coffee, bumped into Myles, and knocked several files out of Lucy's hands without noticing what she was doing. Everyone was concerned, not only for Tara but also for their own safety.

"Tara, are you all right?" Sue asked, going over to talk to her friend. Tara had head phones on, listening to a tape that she was analyzing for a cold case, and she did not show any sign of having heard. Sue tapped Tara's shoulder and repeated her question.

"Yep," Tara replied without looking up. Sue could not see the reply and frowned. It was unlike Tara to ignore Sue's needs in a conversation.

"What did she say?" Sue mouthed to Jack across the room.

"Yep," Jack mouthed back to her.

"She said 'yep'?"

"Yep."

"Jack!"

"Yes, Tara said, 'yep'!"

Sue frowned and tapped the distracted agent's shoulder again.

"Tara, are you sure? You don't seem to be yourself today."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Tara asked, looking up enough that Sue could read her lips. Then, before Sue could respond, Tara got up and left, mumbling something about needing to go get a snack from the vending machine down stairs.

"Well, it's definitely not how you are today," Sue mumbled, a bit hurt by Tara's actions.

"I noticed that too," Bobby said. "She didn't even laugh at any of my jokes today."

"None of them were that humourous," Myles muttered.

"I hope she gets over it soon or I'll have shoe prints over all my files," Lucy piped up from her desk. "She already trampled these ones and never noticed what she was doing. There is nothing much more scary than Tara when she becomes extremely clumsy."

"No. She's like a pint-sized toddler elephant learning to walk," was Jack's contribution.

"Jack, listen to your words. How does that make any sense?" Myles inquired.

"Sorry that I couldn't think of a Shakespeare quote to express myself better," Jack shot back with a wink at his fellow conspirator, Bobby.

"I sincerely hope that Shakespeare did not have to deal with any such comedians as yourselves," Myles stated.

"Perhaps they inspired him," Bobby suggested.

However, the team found that they did not have Tara to inspire them for their work or jokes for the rest of that day. She did not return to the office once. When the next morning came around with still no Tara everyone was concerned. They waited and waited but still there was no call from Tara explaining her absence. Sue and Lucy went to Garett's office to see if Tara had called in sick.

"Sick? No. She came down yesterday and asked for some of her vacation time."

"Vacation time? But she hasn't said anything about planning to time off."

"She said that she wanted to go out of town for a few days. I think she was going to go see her family."

"Why wouldn't she tell any of us?" Bobby asked back at the office, a hurt expression on his face.

"She's not answering her phone either," Lucy added, hanging up after the fifth try of the morning.

"Maybe she just needs some space. So let's give her that and get back to work. We have a bust planned for tomorrow and we need to work out all of the details. Come on, guys, get at it," D directed.

But even as the team turned their minds to their current workload they still worried about their friend, who was off on a journey all her own.


	11. Chapter 11-Avoidance

Bobby was upset that Tara was gone. It was obvious to the entire team the day after Tara's voluntary disappearance that the morose Aussie really did have feelings for the computer genius. He spent as much time looking at her empty desk as he did when she was there, if not more. His sad eyes gave away his secret - he was in love with Tara, whether he realized it or not, and her unexplained absence was causing a large gap in his life. Although he thought he was being covert, the others all knew that the multiple phone calls he was making that morning were attempts to contact Miss Williams. And when he slumped into his seat with a deep-set frown, it became clear that he had failed in his mission. Tara was not picking up any of his calls, as persistent as he might be.

"Bobby, get your head in the game," Myles told him, walking past Bobby's desk. "We need to be leaving. D assigned us to be the lucky ones who get to execute a warrant."

"For what?" Bobby asked, snapping out of his daydreams.

"Embezzling. Do not ask me why we have to do it rather than let the police do it, but for some reason, we do."

"A lot of things in life are unexplainable - mostly the bad parts," Bobby grumbled, standing to his feet. The others exchanged meaningful looks. They all knew that the warrant was not what Bobby was really talking about.

"Let's go get this done," Myles urged, exiting the room.

"Might as well." An emotionally-deflated Bobby followed. Once he cleared the doorway, Lucy rushed over to Sue's desk.

"Did you see that?!" she exclaimed.

"Yes."

"Isn't it just so cute?"

"Bobby working with Myles?"

"No! I meant how cute Bobby is being."

"I don't really think that Bobby being sad is that adorable."

"Sue! I mean, Bobby is clearly in love with Tara. Just look at how he's been acting. He's been moping around, trying her cell every five minutes, and staring at her desk as if looking there long enough will make her re-appear in the bull pen. He really likes our Tara, that he does. And I love it!"

Sue smiled at her romantic roommate. "There's no denying that Bobby likes Tara, but I'm not sure if anything will actually happen. They both seem to be dealing with a lot of emotions and issues right now. I'm pretty sure that both of them are on spiritual journeys of their own, and love would probably only complicate the matter."

Lucy nodded reflectively. "You're probably right, but I still hope that Bobby does really love Tara like I think he does. They would be so cute together. Just imagine - he's so tall and she's so short."

"Clearly opposite heights are the key to a happy marriage," Jack added drily from where he had been listening to the last part of the conversation from the side lines.

"Oh, hush, you," Lucy scolded. "Of course it isn't necessary, but it is so sweet. He is always protecting her."

"We work in a dangerous job environment, so it is his job to protect anyone who crosses his path." That was another comment from Jack.

"Jack, are you determined to pick apart my enjoyment of this romance?" Lucy indignantly demanded.

Jack winked at Sue. "No. I just enjoy giving you the other side. Hey, if you can convince Crash to fall in love with Techno Girl, do it. It would be, as you say, a 'sweet' couple. Just give them some space, though. I know Crash, and he really is struggling with something lately. He hasn't talked to me about it, but I would say that Sue didn't hit far from the mark with her guesses. Let him settle his personal demons before match making him to Tara, okay?"

Lucy shrugged. "Sure. You wouldn't think that I am going to force them together, would you?"

"Well..." Jack and Sue were in unison.

"What?" Lucy demanded.

Jack and Sue avoided looking at each other.

"Um, actually, oh...um." Lucy went back to her desk without another word. She seemed pleased with the awkwardness between her friends. "Success," she whispered under her breath to herself.

Just then a phone rang.

"Shots have been fired. We need backup. _Urgently_!"


	12. Chapter 12-Help Needed

**Everyone, I'm back with another chapter! All credit goes to Pax Entertainment, as usual, for the characters. Thanks for all the great reviews - I love reading your comments whenever I am blessed enough to have one pop up in my inbox! :) Please keep letting me know what you think. I am encouraged by all the kind words. Now, let's find out what is going on while Myles and Bobby are out...! Enjoy and review (and see you next time!)!**

Lucy began signing the relays from D and Jack's head pieces as the two men headed out to assist Bobby and Myles. Sue looked back and forth from the screen in front of her and her phone, where Bobby's messages were coming through.

"There are at least three suspects in the building. One has a gun and is firing from a window. We cannot get a visual on the shooter."

Sue spoke to Jack and D, "There are three suspect, one of whom is shooting at them. No visual."

More words appeared on her Blackberry. "How long for help?"

"About three minutes," Sue replied after glancing at the computer.

"Where are Myles and Bobby located on the property?" Lucy signed to Sue.

"Bobby, where are you and Myles on the property?" Sue asked.

"We are pinned down by the fire behind the car on the front street."

"Police and other units are headed there as well," Lucy announced to all.

"Fire from the opposite side of the street as well. We are in the crossfire. We need to get out!" Panic set in. Lucy and Sue wore similar expressions of concerned stress.

"The guys are almost there. Estimated one minute until arrival," Lucy signed.

Suddenly the line was cut off.

"Bobby. Bobby?" Sue asked desperately, hoping for some other response than the empty screen and the thick block words spelling "Call disconnected".

"Jack and Dimitrius are arriving. Oh, and Bobby is down!" Lucy exclaimed.

...

The worst part of the job was always having to call ambulances for a friend.

By the time all five teams involved had arrived and taken care of the situation, two of the FBI's agents were on their way to the hospital - both Bobby and Myles had been hit and blood spattered the scene. Myles was dealing with at least one bullet lodged in his leg while Bobby was unconscious. Alone in the office, Lucy and Sue shared in a short prayer for their teammates and friends after they finished their roles of communicating critical information to their agents. When they whispered "amen" Sue jerked her head up and looked at Lucy.

"We need to call Tara."

"I'll try her number again," Lucy said, bustling over to her desk, obviously glad for something to do to distract her from the worry for Myles and Bobby.

"It's still ringing," she signed to Sue. "Oh, here she is ... no, its her voice mail again. Oh, that girl! Why won't she answer? What do I say?"

Sue shrugged. "Tell her that it is urgent and that she needs to call us as quickly as possible."

"If that could work, she would have responded to my messages a long time ago."

"You've been telling her that for the last few days?"

"Yes." At Sue's disapproving look, Lucy added defensively, "Well, I was worried! Weren't you?"

"Yes. But now..."

"I need to say something now. It started recording!" Lucy said, covering the speaker.

"Tell her that the team really needs her. It is important. Tell her that we need to give her news on Myles and Bobby, or something."

"Tara, this is Lucy again. I really do need you to call back immediately. We have to give you some news about a couple of the guys. And besides, we are concerned about you. So call us back. Thanks. Bye." Lucy hung up. "Let's hope that she checks her messages."


	13. Chapter 13-The Road

_**Finally ... you are going to get the next chapter! I know that some of you have been waiting a very looooong time to finish this story! I have unfortunately had a lot of things going on in my personal life that have had to take precedence to my writing. I am glad to be back now, though, and I hope that you all are ready for the next chapter in this story! Thanks for those of you who have commented, messaged me, or kept checking back. I hope that this will be worth it. Read, share, comment, and most importantly, ENJOY! All verses are in NKJV, my Bible version of choice. You can read them in other versions by searching online. Different people find different versions better for reading. Also, I know that not everyone believes the faith that Bobby reads about in this chapter, but I believe it. I hope that you can all enjoy this next chapter. Now, here we go!**_

 _Oh, my head!_

Bobby struggled to sit up. He put his hand to his head as an attempt to stop the pounding headache.

"Hey, easy there," a friendly voice said. Bobby turned and squinted.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Caitlan, your nurse this evening. Now please lie back down and rest."

"Nurse? What happened?"

"You were shot." The nurse looked over at him from reading his monitors. "You know, mister, you are lucky to be around."

"Shot? What?"

"Your doctor will be right with you. I'll go call him so that he can update you on your condition."

Bobby rubbed his forehead. The pain remained. There was no way that he would be out of this bed anytime soon.

...

The doctors and nurses came and went all night. The shot wound in his shoulder had been cleaned and bandaged, but Bobby had lost enough blood to need a transfusion. It was tiring, but as the new blood flowed in Bobby did feel slightly better. His head pounded from the concussion he had sustained when he fell and hit his head on a rock. He slipped in and out of a deep sleep that still held no healing rest. It was early morning before the transfusion was finished and he could fall asleep for any amount of time.

...

Falling asleep had been difficult, but it did not take too long for Bobby to get tired of being in the hospital after waking up. The nurses constantly scolded him for trying to push too hard. The food was horrible. For some reason there was no one from the team coming to visit - probably because of nurses insisting that he needed to rest instead of rush. Because of the concussion, he was told not to watch TV. Finally the boredom caused him to check the bedside table to see if there were any magazines or books left there by former patients or visitors. At first he could not anything, but then he saw a small book toward the back. He pulled it out to find that it was a Gideon's Bible, a New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs included.

 _I don't really read the Bible, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe I can see what Sue finds in this book. She calls it "the book of answers". Maybe it would have something about say about why I'm still alive._

Bobby opened up the book and flipped through, confused as to where he should start. Then he noticed that someone had written down a list of references on the front cover of the Bible under the heading, "The Roman's Road". He followed the references, clumsily turning the thin pages and scanning through the pages for the right verses. He hid the Bible every time a nurse came in, not wanting anyone to interrupt his reading with the insistence that he rest. When his head began to hurt, he would stop to rest just until it was bearable, then continue. The first verse was Romans 3:23 - "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

 _All have sinned. Well, yeah, I've done some bad things - I guess that would be sin. Glory of God? Would that be how ... maybe amazing? oh, probably honoured? I definitely do not come close to God. Wait? Do I believe that there really is a God? Um, yeah, I guess I do. Like they were saying the other night, God makes sense. How else would the world be here? Or even more, why would so many people believe in a God if there was no such person? I can see something different about Sue and D and Donna._ _I think that I'd like that same sort of difference in me. After all, I'm still alive. Perhaps God gave me this chance to learn more about Him. Now, what's the next verse?_

The next verse was Romans 3:10, just a bit above the last verse. It said, "As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one." Bobby did not know where it was written, but he guessed that it was probably somewhere else in the Bible.

 _Righteous? That means good. Yeah, I already know that I am definitely good. It's kinda like the last verse. Now what?_

Romans 5:12, the third verse, read, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned."

 _Who would that one man be? I'm pretty sure that I heard Mum talk about that when she was ... what do they call it? Saved? ... when I was a teenager. I think that it was the first man on earth, Adam, who disobeyed a command from God and died. And so this verse is saying that all people die because all sin?_ _That would make sense. Everyone does bad stuff, everyone dies. But why haven't I died before? I've done a lot of bad things. Maybe the good things that I have done are what are keeping me alive. Maybe God doesn't mind the bad that I've done because of the good that I do._

Verse four, Romans 6:23, was "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 _That sounds like this salvation is a gift, not something that I earn. And God is really serious about this sin stuff getting us killed._

Bobby was intrigued. He rested his eyes for a bit to stop the pounding in his head, but it did not do too much to help. His brain was on overdrive, rushing through all of the questions he had and the information that he had in his head. He picked the Bible back up and checked the next reference on the inside of the cover.

Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

 _From what I've heard, it is the death of Christ, Who was the perfect Son of God, that lets us be saved. Wow! There are only a few people that I would die for, and those are my family and friends. God must have loved me very much to die for me. That does not sound like it is based upon anything that I do._

Romans 10:9-10 - "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

 _Nothing said here about doing anything except for confessing Jesus and believing that He is alive. Oh, and believing with my heart. So I can just believe and then be saved?_

Romans 10:13 - "For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

 _So call on the name of the LORD, huh? I guess that I could pray. I don't know exactly what to say. I wonder if there are any more verses. Oh, there's one last one._

Romans 10:17 - "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

 _I can get faith by hearing about it from the word of God? Oh, isn't that what Christians call the Bible? So if I have heard the word of God I can have faith ... what about reading it? I think that it would work. Besides, this sounds easy enough. All I need to do is pray with faith? I could wait for Sue or D or Jack or Lucy, but I really don't want to. I could pray now, and if I do it wrong, they could help me fix it later. I'll give this a try. Yeah, that's what I'll do._

"God," Bobby said softly in the empty room. "It's me here, Bobby Manning. I do not know how to pray, but I hope that this will do until I can learn how to do it better. I never really paid much attention to You before. I admit it - I liked living the way that I have. But I think that you kept me alive today for a reason. I'm sorry that I have waited this long. Sorry for all the wrong things that I've done. I don't really know much about You or the Bible or being a Christian, but I'll do my best to learn. I don't want to die because of my sin. I want to have that eternal life that Sue and the Austins talked about. Please save me. Thanks. Amen."

It was a fairly bumpy prayer. It was Bobby Manning's first real one, and even though he felt unsure saying it, he felt absolutely certain that God heard, as He certainly had.

Bobby Manning had just joined the family of God. It was that simple.


	14. Chapter 14-Excited Aussie

**Thank you to all of the faithful readers who have been so patient as to wait for this chapter. Wow! Life has been busy. I just finished up a rough draft of a young adult novel and am about to start another one with NaNoWriMo. However, I do have a file that has a couple of fanfics prepared for such a time as this! I have been collecting and am now going to aim to do at least one a week. In December I'd like to do a "Twelve Days of Christmas" posting schedule as a thank you to my readers. If you would be interested, please leave a review! Right now I'm looking for suggestions for the first story. In the comments please name your favourite character. I will be taking the first three characters and creating a story about them. So, if you've been wanting a story about a specific character, please comment!**

 **Now I hope that this does not seem too dry. I've been out of this story for a bit, so adjusting back into it is difficult. I plan to finish it up this month and then move on to a longer story which will eventually lead to some romance.**

 **I think that by now I'm just rambling, so I'll shut up and let you all enjoy! God bless!**

Bobby ended up sleeping through much of the day, but when he woke he was pleasantly surprised to see D and Jack next to his bed.

"Hey," he muttered.

"You okay?" D asked, standing.

"Yep. Sore, but I slept through most of the day, so doing better."

 _Wait, they haven't heard the news yet!_

 _I haven't heard about Myles yet!_

Bobby struggled to sit up.

"Woah, what's your hurry?" Jack questioned, motioning for him to lie back down.

"Myles, is he okay?"

 _Better check on how he is going first._

"He's doing well. Still sore and cranky, but that's normal," Jack laughed.

"I have news."

Jack quirked an eyebrow and D asked, "What news could you have from lying in a hospital bed?"

"Are Sue and Lucy here?"

"Yes, they're just outside. They didn't want to overwhelm you, and the doctors are in with Myles right now, so they should be seated in the family room. Want me to get them?"

"Yeah. I think the sheilas would like to hear this."

When Sue and Lucy entered the room, Bobby noticed that they wore twin looks of concern. He smiled. His team was like a family - one of them hurt, all of them hurt.

"Hi, Bobby. Are you feeling any better?" Sue asked, always concerned.

"You bet!" He propped himself against the pillows. He tried to position himself more comfortably. Lucy rushed forward and gave him a hand.  
"Thanks, Lucy," he said, finally in a position to look at all of his team - present team - comfortably.

"So, what's the big news?" D questioned.

Bobby grinned, turning to the nightstand and pulling out the Bible. He carefully lifted it to show to the others who all recognized the leather-bound book immediately. He watched their expressions as he announced, "I got saved today."

There was no way that he could have been prepared for the reaction his announcement received.

Lucy squealed excitedly, Sue clapped her hands as her brightest smile lit up her face, D gave his best pleased expression, and Jack clapped him on the shoulder - before Bobby's violent wince reminded him that the Aussie was still suffering from some fairly significant bruising.

"Oh, Bobby, that's wonderful! You don't know how long we've been wanting to hear you say those words!" Sue exclaimed.

"Wait until Donna hears this. She will be over the moon," D said.

"We're brothers in the Lord now," Jack said enthusiastically, this time refraining from clapping Bobby on the shoulder. Jack motioned to Bobby's shoulder. "Hey, sorry about that," he referred to his earlier, too-enthusiastic response.

"That's fine, mate," Bobby said. "I'm awful excited too." D grinned.

"For good reason. This is the best choice that you will ever make, man. I can promise that to you."

"I figured. I've fought this for so long. I can't exactly tell why. But today, with me almost losing it all at that shoot out - I guess all the excuses seemed pretty feeble. And when I picked up the Bible and read that 'Roman's Road' thing written inside, it just all made sense. Hey, D, think that I could go to church with you and Donna and the kids this Sunday?"

"If you're out of the hospital."

"Oh, I will be by then."

"I wouldn't go making claims unless you suddenly became an M.D. since I last saw you, sprawled out on the grass."

"Funny, mate, real funny," Bobby said sarcastically, before wincing again and leaning back into his pillow with a groan.

"Speaking of which, we'll leave you to rest," Lucy said, motioning the others to the door. "We'll be by to talk more later when you're feeling a bit better."

The team left, but although there was quiet, Bobby could not go back to sleep right away. He felt concern for Myles. Did the Harvard graduate know about the Roman's Road and salvation? What if he had lost his life today? Where would he be? _And Tara_. The thought flashed into Bobby's mind like lightning. _Tara. What about the sheila?_ ….

...

"At the tone, please record your message."

"Hey, Sheila, seeing you're still being stubborn and not responding to our messages. You've got to stop doing that. We just want to know that you're safe and okay. You should probably text Jack or D again just to let them know not to put out an Amber alert of some sort on you.

"On a different subject, I got saved today, and Tara, it is the best thing that I've ever done. It was only about an hour ago, but I can already tell. Now I know what will happen to me when I die. I almost died today, Tara, and I would not have been going to heaven. I know that. What about you? Where will you go?"I'm almost out of time on this message, so I'll say bye. Please call back soon. Be safe, sheila."

Beep!


	15. Chapter 15 - Tara's Decision

"Hey, Sheila, seeing you're still being stubborn and not responding to our messages. You've got to stop doing that. We just want to know that you're safe and okay. You should probably text Jack or D again just to let them know not to put out an Amber alert of some sort on you.

"On a different subject, I got saved today, and Tara, it is the best thing that I've ever done. It was only about an hour ago, but I can already tell. Now I know what will happen to me when I die. I almost died today, Tara, and I would not have been going to heaven. I know that. What about you? Where will you go?

"I'm almost out of time on this message, so I'll say bye. Please call back soon. Be safe, sheila."

Tara pressed repeat on the message on her phone and heard Bobby's voice start again.

"Hey, Sheila, seeing you're still being stubborn..."

Tara pulled her legs up to her chest and burrowed further into the blankets that she had piled around her in the corner of the room. She chewed on a hangnail and leaned her head against the wall. Her forehead was crinkled with worry. The phone beeped as Bobby's message came to the end … again. It was only the last in twenty or so messages from the team members. They ranged from Sue's "Hey, Tara, we miss you! Hope you're okay!" to Lucy's "Did you elope?" to Jack's "Get in touch, Tara. I know that you're on vacation but just wanted to check that our tech genius is doing fine" to D's "Tara, call Donna and I as soon as you get this. Donna is freaked out that you haven't told her where you were going - and to be honest, so am I. We want to know that you're safe, so call."

So far, she had not returned a single call.

Over all, she had not done much of anything.

"Tara, want some lunch?" Jael called from the bottom of the stairs. Tara ignored her cousin. She could hear Jael mutter to someone, then the stomp of feet. There was a brief knock on her door.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"Not gonna happen," Jeremy replied. Tara rolled her eyes. Sometimes her cousins - specifically Jeremy, Jael, and Jadley, who she had grown up with like siblings - really knew how to push her buttons. This was one of those times. Jeremy cracked her door open. "What's up, Tara?"

"Nothing," she mumbled. Jeremy frowned at her.

"You show up a week ago shaken and then spend most of your time here huddled away in here, refusing to visit or enjoy yourself. Something's bothering you. We've been waiting for you to spill on your own time, but that doesn't seem to be working. So, I'm staying here until you tell me what's wrong."

"I already told you - nothing!"

"Pssh!" Jeremy snorted. He sat down on the floor next to Tara and put his arm around her tense frame. "Come on, Tar, we just want to help."

Tara's phone started buzzing at that opportune moment.

"Got to…." She motioned to her phone. Jeremy nodded but stayed where he was. "Jeremy!"

"I'm staying. Answer it." His eyes showed her that he already knew that she had no plans of answering. She sighed and let the phone ring out. In a few seconds the phone flashed, indicating that she had a message.

"Why aren't you answering? Trouble at work?"

Tara paused, then shook her head.

"Unsure?"

Tara finally nodded, then started to cry.

"I don't know what to do!"

"About what?" Jeremy's voice was thankfully calm and soothing.

"I want to be saved! Everyone else at work seems to know about it, except me and maybe Myles. Even Bobby just called me and left a message saying that he understands it now! It's not like I've never heard about it. Aunt Stacey has explained it to me a million times and Uncle too, but I'm still unsure what to do!" Tara ended her declaration with a sob and buried her face in Jeremy's sweater. She could feel him rub her back, attempting to comfort her.

"That's great news, Tara."

His statement confused her. Pulling away Tara looked at him. "What? How is that great?"

"Because you want to know. The reason why telling you before never worked was because you really didn't want to know for yourself. Now you do. Would you like me to explain it to you now?"

"Sure."

As Tara leaned into his chest and regulated her breathing until it was normal again, Jeremy told her the same verses that Bobby had read earlier that day.

"So, all I have to do is believe?"

"Yes."

"That sounds almost … too easy. It can't be that simple!"

Jeremy smiled as he wrapped his arm around her and leaned back against her bed frame, clearly in the mood to tell a story. Tara, having seen him in this state many times before, just let him tell his story.

"Ever heard of Paul in the Bible?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I've heard Aunt Stacey mention him before when she was trying to tell me stuff about the Bible." Tara blushed. "I don't really remember much."

"Well, Paul wrote quite a few books in the Bible. He was a great missionary in Bible times. Now, some of the religious leaders did not like that about him because people were learning the truth about God and no longer listening to their false rules."

Tara nodded in acknowledgement that she was following the story so far.

"In Acts 16 there a story about Paul and one of his missionary friends, Silas. They had been whipped and thrown into prison for telling others about Jesus. In the middle of the night there was a huge earthquake."

"Did they die?"

"No, but the earthquake opened all of the doors in the prison."

"So they escaped."

"No again!" At Tara's look of disbelief, Jeremy laughed. "That's what the prison guard thought. In those times if you let a prisoner escape you were put to death. Certain that his prisoner had all escaped into the night, he pulled out his own sword and was just about ready to commit suicide."

"Then what?"

"Paul and Silas yelled out for him to stop. Despite freedom being within reach they gave it up to stop the guard from killing himself. Then he asked them, 'What do I need to do to be saved?'"

"What did they say?"

"Believe in Jesus."

"So that's really all there is to it?"

"Yes." Tara sniffled and wiped her face. "You know, I think that I want to believe."

"Then why don't you come down stairs? I know that Jadley and Jael and all the rest of them would love to be there with you while you make this decision."

Tara smiled and nodded. "Sounds good! Let's go!"

 **Oh, we're almost done! I want to thank all of you who have been around and kept encouraging me to write more. I have no intentions of leaving it at this point either. Just, as you may have guessed by now, I'm not always fast with getting back to these stories. I've been doing tons of writing and fanfiction unfortunately has to take back burner to school projects and novel writing. :) Please review and let me know how this chapter was. What do you want to see in the next chapter? Leave your ideas!**


	16. Chapter 16-Not Now

**Yay! No wait of several months. (blushes as she remembers ignoring this story, poor baby) This is the second-to-last chapter. :) I am also going to be posting a new "sneak peek" into what will be happening during the coming "sequel" stories. :D I can't wait! Make sure to go check it out! Please also leave a comment when you finish this chapter - I'd love to hear from you!**

"Are you feeling any better, Myles?" D asked as he closed the door behind him.

Myles groaned, then rolled over to look at D. "How would you feel?" he demanded. "How's Manning?"

"Fine. He wanted me to tell you what happened to him today."

Myles frowned. "I know what happened to him. In case you did not notice, we were involved in the same shoot out!"

D smiled. "I'll give you that."

Myles rolled his eyes, then motioned to D. "So go on. You woke me up for some reason. What happened to Bobby that he was so sure that I needed to hear about it? Did he get the phone number of the pretty nurse?"

"No," D said, pulling out the Bible and handing it to Myles.

"What's this?"

"A Bible."

"Why are you giving me a Bible?"

"I'm not."

Myles looked at D quizzically.

"It's from Bobby."

"Bobby? That guy never even goes to church."

"I know. But today he decided to give his life to God."

"He _what_?"

D smiled. "Today Bobby got saved."

Myles snorted. "I can't believe it. He must have hit his head pretty hard."

D shook his head. "Nope, this isn't from a concussion."

Myles smirked. "Really, what do people hope to gain from this religion stuff?"

"Gain?" D asked. "It's a gift from God. Forgiveness of sin, a future in heaven instead of hell, a loving friend and guide for the rest of one's life - there's an awful lot to gain."

Myles shook his head, then winced at the pain that the motion gave him. He waved off D's concern then proceeded, more careful of his movements the second time.

Myles shook his head, then winced at the pain that the motion gave him. He waved off D's concern then proceeded, more careful of his movements the second time.

"D, I respect that you and a lot of the others see religion and faith as something that gives your life purpose - and that is great, really. I respect that. But if you and Bobby and Sue and the others are hoping that I am going to become a Christian as well, I'm not going to be getting 'saved' any time soon. Can you respect that?"

D nodded. "Of course, Myles. I will always respect your decisions."

Myles caught onto the note of hesitation. "But you don't think that I am making the right choice?"

"Frankly, no."

"D, I'm an atheist. I don't even believe that there is a god. I can't pretend, even to make all of you happy."

"Well, that's your choice but I'm going to keep praying for you," D affirmed.

Myles smiled wryly. "Go ahead. You can keep it up if it makes you feel better."

D smiled back. "You look tired. I'll leave you to rest."

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Wait!" Myles called. D stopped and turned around to face Myles.

"What?"

"Have you heard from Tara?"

D's face dropped, answering the question before he spoke. "No."

"Have you been trying her?"

"What do you think?"

Myles nodded slowly. "I hope that she is okay."

D gave a sad half-smile. "I hope so too." He stood in silence for a moment, thinking of the missing tech analyst. He finally shook himself and nodded toward the door. "I'd better go. Donna's expecting me home for supper. In her words, 'With no case, you'll be home on time for once.' And if I want to be on time, I need to hurry."

Myles smiled. "Give my greetings to her and Davy and Tanya."

"Will do. See you tomorrow."

"Yes, see you then."

It was only after D left that Myles realized that he had left behind Bobby's Bible. He snorted in an un-aristocratic fashion and set it aside. Just then his phone gave a shrill ring. Myles groaned but answered.

"Leland."

"Hi, Myles. This is Tara."

"Tara! Do you know how worried everyone is here?!"

"Is D really upset?"

Myles smiled. Tara still looked up to her former training agent as more of a father figure than a co-worker.

"He's perturbed at your lack of contact."

"Oh great." Pause. "Anyway, I called you because I figured that you would be the least likely to give me a hard time."

Myles rolled his eyes, then winced as his headache began to reassert itself. "You wish."

"Well, I'll be back by Saturday night. You can let everyone know."

"Me! Why don't you just call the others?"

"And have them get upset that I cut off contact for so long? No way! See you on Monday. Bye."

"Tara. Tara! Oh, you ..." Myles hung up and could not suppress the smile. At least they knew that everyone was alive and in one piece. Just then another surge of pain hit him.

Well, nearly in one piece!

 **Don't forget to review! It only takes a minute!**


	17. Chapter 17-The Perfect Sunday

**Everyone, we have made it to the final chapter of "Revived". I know that so many of you have waited for a VEEEEEERRRRYYYY long time to read this conclusion. I appreciate your patience and kindness. I know that many of you have expressed that you have different religious views, but not once have I had a negative comment for my representation of mine. I thank you for that respect. I hope that I wrote in a way that showed respect to yours as well!**

 **Now, I want to list those who supported me through this story. Thanks to all of the following who regularly reviewed (as well of those who followed and favourited!): Guests and guests (many!), Goof, DD, evieerose (such a faithful reviewer), 98Agent (also so faithful), A, x, Bonenurse, and gee. You have all brightened my days with your kind and thoughtful words. I went through a major time of depression and anxiety through the last year, which caused many unexpected breaks in my writing. You did not give up on me, nor did I give up on myself! Today is my birthday and this is a gift both to myself and to all of you faithful readers! I did not realize that I had not already posted chapter sixteen, so even though I would normally spread out my stories, I am posting both chapters today - you guys deserve it! I will also be posting a one-shot, "Therapist", which I love and think that you will as well!**

 **Be looking out for some upcoming sequels to this story. I have a pretty intense plot approaching which I think that you will love. Let's just say that all the begging for couples may actually come to something! This has been a ridiculously long author's note, so I'll wrap it up!**

 **Love you guys! 3 Ira-Grace White**

 **...**

Sunday morning was living up to its name - the sun was shining unusually bright and warm. Perhaps it was because of the extra energy from one very special team of agents who were excited to get to church.

Levi nudged Sue's hand. She turned to see Lucy sign " _Jack's here"_. Sue smiled and went to the door. Sure enough, the dark-haired agent was in nice slacks and a dress shirt, balancing a bag of donuts and a tray of coffee. He flushed as he explained, "Had to bring Levi his jelly-filled treat." Sue laughed and motioned him into the apartment.

"Lucy and I are almost ready. Thanks for picking us up. We could have driven ourselves, you know."

" _I know,"_ he signed.

"So, ready to join the church?" Sue asked. Jack nodded.

"I met with the pastor and deacons earlier this week. I'm glad to be getting back into it. I'm just realizing how much I've actually missed church in my life."

"It helps keep me grounded," Sue nodded. She turned to Lucy. "And you! You are being baptized!"

Lucy smiled nervously. "Yes."

"You sure you don't want to wait until a day when you can invite more of your family or friends?"

"My grandmother is coming and you and Jack. I'll let the others know, but I didn't want to wait. I was excited to hear that they were doing a baptism this Sunday." Lucy picked up her bag with a change of clothes, a towel, and her blow dryer so that she could dry off after the baptism. "Let's go!"

So with coffee, donuts, post-baptism supplies, Bibles, and hope, the three people and one well-behaved golden retriever set off for Sue's church, soon be shared with both of her best friends.

She could never have imagined that having a dinner for her friends would have resulted in such a beautiful outcome. She knew that they would all continue to respect Myles' wishes, but they would pray for him. All of them were alive and well - they had heard from Myles that Tara would be back soon and that she was okay. Sue's life had changed and so had the lives of all of her co-workers and best friends. God had been so good to all of them.

This was the perfect Sunday!

….

"Morning, Bobby," D called across the parking lot at the small church across town. The Ganses attended a different church than Sue did, this one being closer to their home and having a really good children's program that helped engage Davy and Tanya. When Bobby had asked for directions, D had been happy to provide them.

"Morning, D," Bobby called back. He shifted his new Bible under his arm and replied Tanya's energetic wave. The six year-old had her hair tied in colourful bows and wore a fluffy dress with a full skirt, evident when she spun. Davy was pulling unhappily on his bow tie but got distracted when he too saw Bobby. The Gans family crossed the parking lot, avoiding other cars of families coming to church.

"Glad to see you here, Bobby," Donna announced, leaning over to give him a hug. "I heard about your accident."

"Yeah, I'm doing much better now," Bobby assured her. She smiled.

"Let's hurry! I want to go sing!" Tanya demanded, pulling on her parents hands.

"Then let's head in."

D led the way to a row of seats near the back. Davy scooted down the row first, determined to sit next to Bobby, one of the "superheroes" who worked with his dad. D sat next to Bobby. Tanya, also wanting to sit next to a hero, scrambled into her daddy's lap and beamed up at Bobby with her impish grin. Donna sat next to D, leaning against him slighly and entwining her fingers with his. They were all perfectly happy - until a soft voice asked, "Can I sit here?" Everyone turned and saw Tara, her face glowing with a fresh happiness since the last time anyone had seen her.

"Oh, yes! Yes!" Donna exclaimed as D and Bobby both felt a weight removed from their shoulders knowing that Tara was back to safety.

As the praise team started the music and the congregation stood up to sing, the little row of friends and family near the back were no longer perfectly happy - they were well beyond perfect!

Indeed, this was the perfect Sunday all around!


End file.
